Motion-picture apparatus.



D. G. WOODWORTH. MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS. rrmouxon IILBD MAY 7,-19o9j Patented May 31, 1910.

. 1 4 W. W V m a 5 n m a a H I/ /W a 7 w m a M J 5w 7 M 6, w w 9 W0 D. G. WOODWORTH. MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS. '.P PLIO ATIOH FILED my 7,1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all wiwm 'it may concern:

DALLAS G. WOODWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

mica

MOTION-PICTURE APPARATUS.

Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented May 31, 191(2- Applloation filed May 7, 1909. Serial No. 494,563.

Be it known that I, Dennis 0. W001)- woR'rH, a citizen of the United States, residmg at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion-Picture Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to motion-picture machines, and more specifically tomeans employed therein for winding and unwinding the film strip.

The object of my invention is to provide anapparatus of the character mentioned by means of which the loss of time and labor incident to the operation of motion-picture .machines at the present time, because of the necessary rewinding of a film coil after each emplcglment thereof, will be eliminated.

j rther object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of such character which will be of Such improved construction as to adapt the same to be applicable to all motion-plcture machines of ordinary design.

- A further object is to provide a film apparatus as mentioned which may be readily manipulated and which will be durable, efficlent, and comparatively simple of construction.

, Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists, in an apparatus characterized as above mentioned and in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts all as will-be hereinafter fully described and par- "ticularly pointed out in the claims.

' cover thereof being removed an stoo M invention will be more readily underby reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificationand in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my appa ratus in its preferred form, showing 1ts ap--,

plication to a motion-picture machine, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the upper film ma azine, the a portion broken away to better illustrate its construcw construction of the lower film magazine.

tion, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on substantiallyrthe line w w of Fig. 2, Fig. 5

is a side elevation of anadjustable rim employed in u per magazine, portions thereofjibeing" 'bro en away to better illustrate theconstruction thereof, Fig. 6 is an elevation similar to-that shown in-Fig. 3 of the upper film magazine, illustrating the the closure 12 in closing Fig. 7 is a transverse sectiomtaken on substantially the line 3 y of Fig. 2, Fig. 8 is an elevation of the inside of the lower film magazine closure detached, and Fig-.9 is 'a detail pers ective of a detachable ring employed in t e lower film magazine.

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates the casing of a motion-picture machine or rojection lantern of any ordinary or pre erred design, the support 2 of which is mounted upon a suitable base 3. The m0- tion-picture machine or projection lantern as seen is conventionally illustrated inasmuch as it forms no part of the invention.

4 is the usual continuously driven sprocket wheel of the machine mechanism,-and 5 its accompanying roller.

bifurcated end portion 9 thereof an angular bracket 10. Secured to the upper extremity of the arm 9 of said bracket is a film magazine 11 an open side of which is closed by a flanged closure 12 hingedly secured as at 13 to said magazine. 3

14 indicates a hook or catch for holding osition. Rotatably and removab y.mounted upon a stud shaft 15 inwardly projecting from the side wall of the magazine 11 is a reel 16 comprised of a hub 17, a cylinder 18, and, for reasons which will be obvious as the description proceeds, and single side wall 19.

'Encircling the periphery of said reel wall 19 is a removable split rim 20 preferably angular in cross section. .A coil spring 21 extending between a pin 22 secured to and projecting from said rim close to one extremity thereof and the free extremity of a strip 23 secured to the opposite or adjacent extremity of said rim serves as a means of holding the latter in position upon said reel. Pins 24 projecting from said rim engaging an elongate slot 25 rovided in the strip 23 serve as a means of olding the rim extrem ities in alinement position.

Obliquely extending in the closure- 12 is an o ening 26, the same being pos1t1oned therem so as to extend tangentially to cylinder 18 when said closure is in closing pos1- t1on. Inclosmg said openln the same being 110 secured to said closure pre erably by means of rivets 27 is an enlargement 27 of a width upon the ring. 41. 60

such, as to adapt the same toaccommodate the passage of a film strip therethrough. Arranged forward of the mouth of said'enlargement are suitable rollers 28, those 5 shown in the accompanying drawings being of a design such as at the present time is re-' quired by law. Arranged in the peripheral walls of the magazine 11 preferably in horizontal alinement with the forward opening of the'enla-rgement 27, is an opening 29 of. a width such as to accommodate the passage of film strip therethrough. Arranged for ward of said openin are rollers 30 similar in construction to rollers 28.

'Supported, preferably by means of a bracket 31, to the base member 3 in vertical alinement with the forward opening of the magazine enlargement 27 is a lower magazine 32 provided'with a flan ed closure 33 hinged thereto as at 34, 35 in icating a suit able catch for holding said closure in closing position. J ournaled in said magazine is a shaft 36 provided at one extremity of which is a pulley 37 over which travels a belt 38 communicating with the drive mechanism of the'accompanying machine and by means of which sald shaft may be driven. Splined to said shaft is a removable reel 16 a of a construction similar to that of the reel 16before described. In orderto holdsaid reels 16 and 16 in a positive position upon their respective shafts 16 and 36 respectively a slotted spring leaf 39 is provided upon the inner surface of'each of the closures 12 and 33. The free ends of said spring'members being adapted to contact the outer extremities of the hubs of said reels when the magazine closures are in closing position, the same are evidently adapted to hold the latter in 40 engagement with a washer 40 interposed between each of said reels and the rearward walls of the magazines. 4

Encircling the cylinder 18' of-the reel 16' is a detachable-ring 41 provided upon-its inner -'surface with a plurality of wedgeforming projections 42 suitably secured thereto, the same being adapted, when said ring is arranged'about said cylinder to engage the outer surface of the latter. Said boring being held in position u on said cylinder by frictional. contact 0 said projectionsg42"with the latter, the same may evidently be readily arranged thereon 'or; de-

tached therefrom. A spring clip 43 secured as to the outer surface 0 sai ring operative by means of an ifiwardlyprojectmg stan 44 1s adapted to engage the extremity of a film strip in efl'ectingthe of the latter Provided 1n the. peripheral wall of the magazine 32 adjacent the machine mechanism is an opening 45 of awidthsuch as to permit of t e passage of a film stri therethrou h. 46 indicates suitable rol'ers arrange forward of said opening.

comprehended within the suspended on said reel, directing said from its innermost c9n-.

volution to, sald machine, and a recelvmg 130 In operation (it being presumed that the film is so coiled thatthe commencement of the film is at the inner convolution of the coil) the inner end 47 of the film 48 coiled upon the reel 16 is led through the opening 7 ,26 and enlargement 27 of the film closure 12, thence between the rollers 28 through the mechanism of the projecting lantern or motion-picture machine, and thence between the rollers 46 through the opening 45 in 5 the magazine 32. Here said film extremity is secured by means of the clip 43 to ring 41 arranged upon the cylinder 18 of the reel 16. Upon the film having been completely coiled upon the reel 16,the'member 41 may so readily be removed from the reel cylinder. The film coil may now be readily forced from said member 41 and replaced in initial position upon the reel 16, whence it may again be passed through the apparatus ina 5 manner as just described. In the unwinding from the reel 16 the free or outer extremity thereof, as is seen, is perfectly free, it being to guard or protect such extremity thereof that I provide the rim 20.

Owing to the fact that the paying out reel is mounted upon a horizontal axis and the film coil loosely suspended therefrom, the weight of thecoil tends to hold the same to the reel and cause rotation of the whole 95.

coil without friction on the film and insures a true unwinding of the film from a constant point. By withdrawing the film downwardly the widest open space between film coil and reel, which occurs below, is afforded for outward creeping of the film to clear the coil.

By providing the opening 29 in the magazine 11, if thefilm is coiled with the com; mencement extremity thereof at the outer convolution of the coil in which event the same must be uncoiled from the outer periphery thereof, the magazine 11 may be movedv laterally, by simply loosening the N bracket bolt 8, .into vertical alinement with the magazine 32 and the film led through said opening.

While I have shown what I deem to k the preferable form of my apparatus-I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might V be many changes made in the details of con- I reel arranged to receive said film from said machine.

2. The combinationwith a motion-picture machine, of a horizontally lsposed axis and adapted to support a film coil loosely suspended thereon, and guiding means adapted to direct a film suspended on said reel from its innermost convolution to said machine, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a motion-picture machine, of a film magazine, a paying-out reel rotatably mounted in said magazine on a. substantially horizontal axis, a film coil loosely suspended on said reel guiding means for directing said film from its innermost convolution to said machine, and a receiving reel arranged to receive said film from said machine.

4. The combination with a motion-picture machine, of a film magazine, a paying-out reel rotatably mounted in said ma azine on a horizontally disposed axisand a apted to support a film coil loosely suspended thereon, and guiding means adaptedto direct a film suspended on said reel from its innermost convolution to said machine, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a motion-picture machine, of a film magazine mounted above said machine, a payi -out reel mounted in said mafigazine on a horizontally disposed .axis, a 1m coil loosely suspended on said reel, guiding means for directing said film from its innermost convolution to said machine, said guiding means being arranged to withdraw said film in a substantially downward-direction, and a receiving reel in vertical alinement with said Iguiding means and arranged to receive said lm from said machine.

mounted in said magazine on a substantially horizontal axis, a film coil loosely suspended on said reel, guiding means .for directing said film from its innermost convolution to said machine, said guiding means being arranged to withdraw said film in a, substantial y dqwnward direction, and a receiving aying-out reel mounted on a 6. The combination with a motionicture machine, of a film magazine mounte above said machine, a paying-out. reel rotatably reel in vertical alinement with said payingout reel and arranged to receive said film from said machine.

7., The combination with a motion-picture machine, of a vertically disposed film magazine, a film-payin -out re'el revolubly and removably mounte in said magazine, a passage-formin enlargement formed in one of the wide wa ls of said magazine for guidin ing from its inner convolution, a second vertically disposed ma 'a-zine in vertical alinement with said en argement in said named magazine, a revoluble film receiving reel mounted in said magazine, and a detachable film receivin rin carried by said reel, substantially as escri ed.

8. A receivin reel for films comprising a ring provid with inwardly extending projections adapted to take over a hub, a spring clip on the outside of said ring adapted to engage'the end of a film, and means on the inside of said ring adapted. to release a film end from said clip.

9. The combination with a motion-picture a film strip coiled upon sald reel in unwin machine. of a vertically ,disposed lm magaing a film strip coiled upon said reel in unwinding from its inner convolution, a removable rim encircling-said reel, a second magazine mounted in substantially vertical alinement with said first named magazine below said motion-picture machine mechanism, a film receivin reel mounted in said magazine, a remova le film receiving ring carried by said reel and held thereon by frictional contact therewith, and means provided upon said ring for eng ing the extremity o a film strip, substantia 1y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification in the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.

- DALLAS 0.. WOODWORTH.

Witnesses:

* Josmm. R. H. Po'rrs,

A. A. Olson. 

